NCL Dawn: March 28 to April 4, Cruising with DS

[14ersco]

Have not written a review before, but I promised Luv2Cruz, the group leader for our upcoming official CC group cruise to Bermuda on the Dawn that I would review our first Dawn cruise this year. Overall this was a very good trip and we are lucky to be cruising on the Dawn in less than 60 days with the King's Wharf Rats. (By the way there is still room to join the group). For a little background we are new to cruising, but have done extensive traveling on land vacations. We usually travel 5 to 6 weeks a year and have travelled through most of the US and Canada, plus internationally. Prior to this we did an eleven day cruise on the NCLA Pride of Aloha. We were part of the Cruise Critic roll call; so many of the happenings that were described in the excellent review by SILC were the same for us. Will break up the review by days and so far have only the first two written; so this may take some time.

 

 

[14ersco]

We left early on the morning of March 27 with 16" of snow on the ground and arrived in sunny Miami later that day. Following CC suggestions we stayed overnight in the Blue Lagoon area. This is a great pre-cruise location, because the hotel shuttle was free and within walking distance of the hotel at the corner of NW 7th St & NW 57th Ave is a grocery store, liquor store, and dining. Miami airport is a little tricky to get around; you must go downstairs to arrivals to get your luggage and go right back upstairs to departures to get a hotel shuttle. The next morning to avoid paying $50 for taxi fare to the port we took the hotel shuttle back to the airport which dropped us off upstairs at departures and we went downstairs to arrivals to the taxi stand where the fare to the port is set at $24. Our roll call had created buttons and t-shirts, plus we had a web site where we could post our photos; so after a quick check-in we arrived in the Latitudes and suites waiting area to find the first get together of our roll call. Our roll call was a great group of people that we shared excursions, parties, dinners, and the owner’s suite with throughout the week.

[14ersco]

As we entered the Dawn we noticed no one was handing out something to drink, this was surprising since the CNBC special had just been shown a few days earlier. As we stepped into the atrium we were immediately greeted by a member of the youth staff who helped us sign up DS in the 2-5 y/o kid’s group. We then stepped over to reception to remove charging privileges from the room card for DS. By going down the hall we dropped off our carry on luggage in Dazzles. The crew member taking our luggage saw my CC button and reminded us about the M&G that was to be in Dazzles the next day. In previous CC reviews there had been mention of samples at the specialty dining; surprisingly there were none to be found. So it was off to lunch at the Venetian. After being served our bread by the slice we guessed there must be a GI issue on the ship. The mushroom risotto and chilled fruit soup were excellent. There were announcements that you could eat lunch in either the Venetian or the buffet, but the Venetian was mostly empty. Also found out the people at the tables on each side of us were from the roll call. That was a nice part of the CC roll call; we kept meeting familiar faces on the ship and in the ports throughout the cruise.

 

By the time lunch was finished the rooms were ready; so we got our luggage from Dazzles and headed to our room. We had a balcony on deck 9 aft starboard and the room stewards, Esther and Mark, were excellent. At the spa DW purchased the port day special; $109 for 2 hours; 5 treatments and use of the spa. At sail away our roll call had planned to meet at the Bimini Bar. After we arrived JW and Jerome invited the group to their suite for us to sail away in style from the front corner of the ship. By the time we left that party and went looking for supper we encountered the worst dining experience of the cruise. The wait for both main dining rooms was approaching an hour and we wanted to go to the show; so it was off to the buffet where it was only variations of pasta and some white fish. The buffet was actually very good after the first night and was the place DS preferred to eat. Two things we learned was the first night show was not the best of the week (nor the worst) and whenever you need a tasty quick meal go to the Blue Lagoon. The first night show was a variety starting with a short piece of about 15 minutes by the Dawn show band and the Jean Ann Ryan (JAR) dancers, both very good. Also a couple of the lounge signers played a number; Nathaniel Reed was excellent (we need to make time to see him in June) and the other was forgettable. The rest of the show was the comedian Dave Heenan; a nice guy who met on the ship throughout the week, but his jokes were just so-so (had heard his late night adults only show later in the week was very good). After the show we then went over to pickup DS at Kid’s Club and then back to the cabin to see our first towel animal. We got a towel animal every night and we kept all of them throughout the week.

[14ersco]

One improvement with Freestyle 2.0 was the expansion of kid’s club hours on sea days. The kid’s club is now open from 9 am to 10:30 pm at no cost and $5 for the first child per hour after 10:30 up to 1 or 1:30 am. At the beginning hour and last half hour of the day plus over meal times is Free Play. Free Play is when the various ages play together as one group. NCL sticks to your child’s birth date; on the last full day of the cruise we saw a very happy girl who was celebrating her 6th birthday that day finally getting to join the 6-8 y/o kid’s group.

 

We started the day with breakfast in Aqua; this is a perk if you are in a balcony or higher category. There was no notice of this breakfast option; just another good CC tip. For breakfast in Aqua you order the hot food and there is a buffet with the cold food. With DS in kid’s club we went to the CC meet & greet at Dazzles. All of the major officers and directors were in attendance; they each introduced themselves and asked how they could be of service to our group. They also confirmed that there was a minor level of GI on the ship, but way below CDC reporting levels. On CC it was mentioned on an early March Dawn cruise that the previous CD had gotten tender tickets for the roll call so the new CD Shona Blair was asked if she could help us with the Samana tender. She left and came back in a few minutes with enough tender tickets so that those of us (about 40) taking excursions in Samana could get on the first tender after the NCL excursions. Shona is a fine addition to the international fleet; having previously serving as the CD on the Pride of America for NCLA. Ana the group coordinator asked if anyone wanted to have dinner with the officers and she wrote down the cabin numbers of those interested.

 

We went to lunch in the buffet; during mid-day the port side of the buffet becomes the New York Deli where you can get a hot or cold sandwich and all the side dishes. For the first half of the cruise the staff served us to avoid GI, but eventually those precautions were lifted. After lunch we went to the Italian wine testing that was also attended by SILC. Later in the afternoon took DS to the T-Rex kid’s pool area. NCL has 3 ships that have a nice water park on the aft for younger kids that have water slides, pools, and hot tubs. If you have a younger child you do not have to worry about your kid being run down by an inconsiderate adult in the main pool. Never saw a crew member monitoring these pools, so occasionally adults would be in the hot tubs.

 

That night was lobster and grouper night; so after DS ate in the buffet he went to kid’s club and we went to the Venetian. Faroquie was our server this evening and for the rest of the cruise every morning when we were in the buffet he would come over and say hello. The appetizers, cold soups, and desserts in the Venetian were always excellent every night we went. Also service was prompt, but not rushed, and we never spent more than 1 ½ hours any night in the Venetian. As we were finishing our meal we got to witness the grand entrance and singing of Hello Dolly by SILC. That evening’s show was Band on the Run by JAR. This was very good production of songs and dance from the late 70’s and early 80’s. The show went from “Come Sail Away” by Styx to “YMCA” by the Village People. After the show we went to pick up DS at Kid’s Club and tonight he started a new routine that we followed the rest of the week; a fourth late-night meal in either the buffet or the Blue Lagoon.

 

[Flyingfish]

Hi, thanks for the post. We'll be on the Dawn for a New England run later in the year. We booked an aft, deck 9, starboard cabin also. Can you tell me your cabin number? I thought you could eat breakfast/lunch in Cagney's. Has that changed. Thanks for your post, it's fun sailing along without leaving home (sometimes).

[Mrs. H.]

Hi, thanks for the post. We'll be on the Dawn for a New England run later in the year. We booked an aft, deck 9, starboard cabin also. Can you tell me your cabin number? I thought you could eat breakfast/lunch in Cagney's. Has that changed. Thanks for your post, it's fun sailing along without leaving home (sometimes).

 

What cat do you have?

[14ersco]

Hi, thanks for the post. We'll be on the Dawn for a New England run later in the year. We booked an aft, deck 9, starboard cabin also. Can you tell me your cabin number? I thought you could eat breakfast/lunch in Cagney's. Has that changed. Thanks for your post, it's fun sailing along without leaving home (sometimes).

 

From what I have read on CC if you are in a standard balcony (the B categories) your only dining perks are breakfast in Aqua and being able to make a reservation in specialty dining 48 hours in advance. It is in the higher suite categories that you get the access to Cagney's, but I am not sure if it is for all suite categories.

[Mrs. H.]

From what I have read on CC if you are in a standard balcony (the B categories) your only dining perks are breakfast in Aqua and being able to make a reservation in specialty dining 48 hours in advance. It is in the higher suite categories that you get the access to Cagney's, but I am not sure if it is for all suite categories.

 

As far as I know its AE and ABOVE that get all the fantastic perks. :D

[watchdiva]

Suite perks kick in starting with AE and up from there. Neither AF or AG mini-suites receive these perks -they are really deluxe balcony cabins, not suites.

 

The suite perks on NCL are the best - you won't ever want to sail in less than a suite again.

[Silc]

Glad you're weighing in too!

 

I got to relive my vacation, and now I get to experience it all over again through your eyes!

 

Silc

[Mrs. H.]

Suite perks kick in starting with AE and up from there. Neither AF or AG mini-suites receive these perks -they are really deluxe balcony cabins, not suites.

 

 

 

ummmmm, that's what I said.:cool:

[*Luv2Cruz*]

Have not written a review before, but I promised Luv2Cruz, the group leader for our upcoming official CC group cruise to Bermuda on the Dawn that I would review our first Dawn cruise this year. Overall this was a very good trip and we are lucky to be cruising on the Dawn in less than 60 days with the King's Wharf Rats. (By the way there is still room to join the group). For a little background we are new to cruising, but have done extensive traveling on land vacations. We usually travel 5 to 6 weeks a year and have travelled through most of the US and Canada, plus internationally. Prior to this we did an eleven day cruise on the NCLA Pride of Aloha. We were part of the Cruise Critic roll call; so many of the happenings that were described in the excellent review by SILC were the same for us. Will break up the review by days and so far have only the first two written; so this may take some time.

 

Hi Dave!:)

 

Thanks for your review and the awesome job you've done scouting out and answering questions for our group!:D I'm looking forward to the rest of your review, and can't wait to meet you and your family when it our turn in 57 days!:cool: And YES, it's not too late to join our

CC Group and if you're going to Bermuda, make sure you checkout our KWR Gear!:eek: There's something for everybody!;)

[Flyingfish]

Thanks for the responses. We're in an AE aft on the Dawn. So, I guess the Cagney breakfast/lunch still goes. I can't sing praises enough for this setup. The aft cabin is great, but, a quiet breakfast (full and delicious) without looking for a place to sit. And, lunch in the same quiet setting is worth the price of the ticket !! Kuddos to NCL.

[cruiseguys2009]

Hey everyone!

 

We've set up the Face Book site.

 

"NCL Dawn 3-28-09 aka Dawn's Fools" and there are so many pics downloaded. Everyone's individual site has the pics plus the main site.

 

Dave, your review is so "on the money" and perfect. Thanks for the mention. As for the "Suites", I will be doing a thread this week entitled "Suite Life on the Dawn 3-38-09". It was a truly over-the-top amazing experience.....and once you've done it, you will never ever go back....that's the hard part!

 

Cruise Critic Made the Cruise for all of us! Thanks Dave, and what a miracle you made it through that tiny weather window between blizzards! You and your family are truly fantastic. Check out the photo of you guys on the main site!

 

Happy Easter Everyone!

[14ersco]

Back with a few more days completed...

 

This was our favorite port and the only port where the locals had an official welcoming for the cruise. There were some ladies in colorful native dress to get your picture taken with, a band with dancers, and a tourist info booth on the pier. The pier also had the cleanest porta-potties anywhere on our entire cruise. We felt safe in this port, just your typical signs of any poor area: stray dogs & chickens, limited trash pick up, some buildings in various stages of construction, etc. We found that the locals were very proud of education and their children. Our driver explained how his daughter was at University in Santo Domingo and his two boys were completing their studies in the primary school at Las Galeras. Catherine of Casa Dorado was a principal in the New York City schools before moving with her husband Roberto back to his native country and opening their B&B. We had brought them some school supplies to provide to the local school children.

 

Through the CC roll call we had almost 30 people go to Playa Rincon with Casa Dorado B&B (www.casadoradodr.com). The cost for this excursion is based on a group of 10 people; it was $100 for the taxi and $160 for the boat ride (plus tips). So the closer you get to 10 in your group the lower the p/p cost. The owners of Casa Dorado, Catherine & Roberto, arranged 3 late-model vans to meet us at the pier. Since our group was not at 10 the nice couple that SILC met the day before joined our van. It was a small world on the Dawn; we had eaten breakfast next to this couple in Aqua the day earlier. We drove about 3/4 hour to Playa Plata beach near Las Galeras. Roberto was there waiting for us and he arranged our return time so that we could do a little shopping and still be at the pier about an hour before the last tender. We boarded large john-boats to do a 10 minute crossing of the bay to Playa Rincon. Playa Rincon is stunning, about a 7 KM long beach with only a few rustic dining spots behind the beach. On the beach locals sold stones, food, beads, etc. A simple "no thank you" and they left you alone. You could also get a massage or rent a beach chair. Casa Dorado kept someone with us throughout the day. Roberto suggested eating at Rincon Rubi (www.rinconrubi.com). I had a lobster ($25) with plantains and fresh salad; you choose the critter live from a cooler and they put it on the BBQ grill. DW had fresh mahi mahi ($15) and shrimp was also available ($20), but order early since supplies are limited. Both were very tasty and this was the place used by the ship excursions. Spent about 4 hours on the beach; the ship excursions that came via the 4x4 road only had about half that time. On the drive back we asked our driver to stop so we could buy some local groceries. With our driver negotiating the exchange rate; we got 4 bags of coffee, 2 bottles of vanilla, small bottle of rum, and some packages of cookies for only $16! We arrived back at the pier about 45 minutes before the last tender.

 

Since we arrived back on the ship about 6 and wanted to go to the 7:30 pm show it was off to the buffet. This evening the kid’s club was also going to show, but we didn’t get done eating early enough so DS did the show with us and joined the group later. When kid’s club goes to a show you must check your child in at kid’s club a ½ hour before the show, because you cannot check them in at the show. This was the night for the Gleason Magic show. He was a very good magician, but watch out for his sales pitch at the end. DS decided the only souvenir he wanted on this trip was one of Gleason’s magic worms. The cost was $10 and once we opened the package we found plush 3” worm with a piece of fishing line tied to its nose; that is how it magically moves without being touched. Gleason was also promoting a memory seminar later in the week; which was basically an hour long sales pitch to buy a couple $60 DVD’s. We ended the evening with our usual late night buffet meal and towel animal.

[14ersco]

Since we prefer to explore our ports and not shop the West India Company (Havensight) pier was not appealing. Through a recommendation from Luv2Cruz we had booked an island tour and snorkeling with Papa Bear of Air Force 1 Fun Tours (havefunwithus.net). This was an excellent trip and we would highly recommend one of Papa Bear’s tours. He offers a wide variety of excursions from beach only to shopping, tour, and beach. There were 9 of us on this tour, from 3 different ships. The day started out drizzly so Papa Bear asked our group if he could spend some time showing us some of the local culture; because Mountaintop was still socked in with clouds. So, on our drive up the mountain Papa Bear pulled over to show us local plants and animals, and explain the history of St. Thomas. Papa Bear avoided the viewpoints that the other tour operators used; because most of these pull outs were packed with vendors. Instead he would pull over slightly above or below; so that we could get our photos without being pestered. We stopped at Mountaintop to enjoy the view of the Virgin Islands and the banana daiquiri. Papa Bear’s daughter is the same age as our DS and he recommended Coki Beach to snorkel. On his web site are a number of videos of beaches throughout the island. The others wanted to go to Sapphire beach, so he dropped us off and arranged to pick us up in 3 hours. Coki beach is a great spot for easy snorkeling and to see a large number of fish. The water was so clear that we were able to take photos of the fish without an underwater camera. DS was ecstatic that he was able to touch a fish. Coki Beach has chairs and umbrellas to rent and there were beach wait staff to purchase food and drink. Even with 4 ships docked in St. Thomas Coki Beach never felt crowded.

 

Once back on the Dawn DW went off for 2 hours of pampering at the spa and I got DS ready for the kid’s club dinner. This evening JW and Jerome opened up their suite for a cocktail party. Thanks guys for the hospitality and great martinis! The party was well attended by the roll call group and also in attendance was Hotel Director Hugo, Cruise Director Shona, Assistant CD Ray-Ray; and the members of the Howl at the Moon dueling piano group. Throughout the week the officers and directors were out in public and would be willing to talk to you. We left the party with 2 other couples from our roll call and went together to the Venetian for supper. Ordered the every day steak and found it to be as tasty, tender, and properly cooked as the filet I had later in the week in Cagney’s. The steak came with a sauce all ready covering the steak; so if you want the sauce on the side you need to ask. This evening’s show was JAR doing South Beach Rave, but we didn’t have time to attend (hopefully we can in June). DS came out of kid’s club decorated as a pirate and we went to Blue Lagoon for a yummy late night burger.

[*Luv2Cruz*]

Since we prefer to explore our ports and not shop the West India Company (Havensight) pier was not appealing. Through a recommendation from Luv2Cruz we had booked an island tour and snorkeling with Papa Bear of Air Force 1 Fun Tours (havefunwithus.net). This was an excellent trip and we would highly recommend one of Papa Bear’s tours. He offers a wide variety of excursions from beach only to shopping, tour, and beach. There were 9 of us on this tour, from 3 different ships. The day started out drizzly so Papa Bear asked our group if he could spend some time showing us some of the local culture; because Mountaintop was still socked in with clouds. So, on our drive up the mountain Papa Bear pulled over to show us local plants and animals, and explain the history of St. Thomas. Papa Bear avoided the viewpoints that the other tour operators used; because most of these pull outs were packed with vendors. Instead he would pull over slightly above or below; so that we could get our photos without being pestered. We stopped at Mountaintop to enjoy the view of the Virgin Islands and the banana daiquiri. Papa Bear’s daughter is the same age as our DS and he recommended Coki Beach to snorkel. On his web site are a number of videos of beaches throughout the island. The others wanted to go to Sapphire beach, so he dropped us off and arranged to pick us up in 3 hours. Coki beach is a great spot for easy snorkeling and to see a large number of fish. The water was so clear that we were able to take photos of the fish without an underwater camera. DS was ecstatic that he was able to touch a fish. Coki Beach has chairs and umbrellas to rent and there were beach wait staff to purchase food and drink. Even with 4 ships docked in St. Thomas Coki Beach never felt crowded.

 

Once back on the Dawn DW went off for 2 hours of pampering at the spa and I got DS ready for the kid’s club dinner. This evening JW and Jerome opened up their suite for a cocktail party. Thanks guys for the hospitality and great martinis! The party was well attended by the roll call group and also in attendance was Hotel Director Hugo, Cruise Director Shona, Assistant CD Ray-Ray; and the members of the Howl at the Moon dueling piano group. Throughout the week the officers and directors were out in public and would be willing to talk to you. We left the party with 2 other couples from our roll call and went together to the Venetian for supper. Ordered the every day steak and found it to be as tasty, tender, and properly cooked as the filet I had later in the week in Cagney’s. The steak came with a sauce all ready covering the steak; so if you want the sauce on the side you need to ask. This evening’s show was JAR doing South Beach Rave, but we didn’t have time to attend (hopefully we can in June). DS came out of kid’s club decorated as a pirate and we went to Blue Lagoon for a yummy late night burger.

Good morning!:) Glad you like Papa Bear's and Coki. Papa Bear is the best, Coki was beautiful.:D I'm also sure your party on Wisteria Lane was probably wild!;) Speak with ya soon!:cool:

[14ersco]

Well I better hurry and up and finish my review before everyone leaves this thread to read the Dawn Queen review. :D:D:D:D

 

Today we went without an organized excursion to Virgin Gorda and the Baths. This is a beautiful park, but we were not ready for the size of the crowds. Costa Atlantic pulled in just after us and it appeared like a large number of their people also decided to go to the Baths. We walked over to the ferry port (about 10 minutes) and used Speedy's ferry and taxi service. With 2 ships in town Speedy’s set up a special return time so that we could spend the entire day at the Baths. Speedy’s left Tortola at 9 am and left Virgin Gorda at 2:30 pm; the ferry ride was about 35 minutes and the taxi ride about 10 minutes. Total cost was $38 for an adult and $28 for a child; this included r/t ferry & taxi. Speedy's uses a fleet of modern Australian catamarans which have an open-air top deck for the passengers. They also have a bar downstairs where you can get ice cold Caribe’ beer for $3. The other ferry group, Smiths, used boats that appeared to be older, not well maintained, and was about the size and design of a pilot boat. Speedy’s also have their own fleet of open-air taxis; so traveling to the Baths independently is very easy to do. The Baths are a national park that has a fee of $3 for adults and free for young children. There are two beaches, one on each side of the rock formations. At the one beach the majority of the people were from Costa and it was like we had been transported to the Mediterranean; Italian was the predominate language. The waves were high enough that the private swim-in excursions brought their dinghy’s in almost to the shore to deliver their customers. The NCL excursion had their people swim for the shore, but they had Speedy's ferry bring them back to the Dawn. The park service has restrooms at the first beach you reach from the parking lot and there are burgers and beers (cheeseburger & fries $8) available to purchase at this location. The ferry got us back to Tortola about 30 minutes before last call; which gave us enough time to stop at Pusser’s to purchase a couple bottles of rum.

 

This evening we were invited to have dinner with one of the ship’s Doctors. The dinner was in the Venetian and the people at our table were the Doctor and his wife; DW and I; and 2 couples who are not CC members and were traveling together. Do not remember much about this dinner except that only the Doctor’s wife, DW, and I were partaking of the free wine from NCL and that I really prefer Freestyle dining. The evening show was Second City and they were using stock material, because the first sketch was about receiving a glass of bubbly when coming on the ship. We found their sketch comedy lacking humor; so we walked out of the show within a few minutes. Tonight was the Chocoholic Buffet and having seen photos of when it was done in the Venetian was looking forward to nice art pieces made from chocolate. Instead there were 2 or 3 of the buffet lines open and the chocolate was just individual servings arranged no different than any other night in the buffet; just larger quantities and varieties. There were some small chocolate displays that were no larger than could fit on the buffet tables. Crew members directed people to the various lines so that there was no long waits for dessert. Having sampled the buffet desserts throughout the week we avoided the baked chocolate desserts. We thought they were always dry, but all of the other deserts were yummy. This was also the only evening you could get scooped ice cream; the other nights were soft served. There was also a band playing and servers selling champagne during the chocolate buffet. DS left the kid’s club early just to attend the chocolate buffet.

[14ersco]

This morning after breakfast in the buffet DS went to play in the T-Rex pool. At 10 am DS went to kid’s club and we went to the Future Cruise presentation with free mimosas. We purchased one $250 deposit and got an immediate $100 OBC. :cool: After lunch DS went with kid’s club to have cookies with the Captain. He also had his photo taken with the Captain; which was available to purchase (we did) in the photo area. Since we planned a full Friday on Great Stirrup Cay hiking to the lighthouse and building sandcastles with the kid’s club we spent part of Thursday afternoon gathering up our stuff for packing. It was either this afternoon or the previous afternoon that was the Latitudes Party; the details became fuzzy after all of the rum punches NCL provided for free. Like the Meet and Greet all of the major Dawn Officers and Directors were there to introduce themselves. There were also drawings for free products and services from the various areas of the ship (spa, gift shop, bingo, etc.). Whether it was luck of the draw or whatever the majority of the winners were from the lower regions of the ship, decks four and five. Another drawing was for the person who had sailed the most cruises with NCL; I believe the winner had done over 40 NCL cruises! Since this evening was Surf and more Surf in the Venetian we got DS early from kid’s club to go the Blue Lagoon for his burger and fries.

 

The Venetian was excellent this evening. Knowing that the lobster night is very popular we joined the line 15 minutes before the doors opened. This was a great move since this allowed us to be seated at the windows along the back of the room. What a view; the aft wake trailing out behind our table. The Surf and more Surf consisted of a lobster tail, shrimp, scallops, and mussels. The chilled soup this evening was blueberry and once again was excellent. This evening was the best show of the entire cruise, Bollywood, and DS went with the kid’s club to see this show. If you really want to feel that you are part of the show sit in row 5 or 6 center, you will have members of the cast dropping in on you. This show is a combination of a Bollywood type movie and a Cirque show. The acrobatics, dancing, and sets are amazing; especially on a moving ship. They fully deserved the standing ovation at the end of the show. For those that have not seen a JAR production go to http://jeanannryanproductions.com and select the “Promo Videos” to see a clip of Bollywood; you really need your speakers cranked when viewing this web site. This is the one show we are really forward to in June when we cruise with the King’s Wharf Rats. After the show was the tribute to the Officers, Staff, and Crew.

 

 

[14ersco]

Another morning with breakfast in the buffet. There are a couple stations where you can get an omelet or waffle made to order. At the omelet station you can get regular eggs or eggbeaters. Ingredients you can select include ham, onion, tomatoes, spinach, and cheese. Just before the waffle station is an area where you can get made to order yogurt and you can ask the server to give you some fresh fruit for your waffle. This morning it was both an omelet and a waffle. There was an announcement by the Captain we had arrived at Great Stirrup Cay and then an announcement by Shona to not crowd the stairwells and halls around the tender doors. We went back to our balcony to watch the preparations for tendering. From our viewpoint we could see the Dawn straining on her anchor chain and pointing towards the northern tip of the island. There was the announcement from Shona that the Capitan was going to try a different position to safely tender. The Dawn was then turned to face directly to the beach (east) and one of the tenders from GSC circled the Dawn. Finally there was the announcement for the third try and pointing the Dawn towards the south.

 

By now we were expecting a cancellation of GSC and the announcement came a few minutes later. The staff of the Dawn did an amazingly quick change in the plans for the day. Within 15 minutes after the cancellation Shona was back with a list of new activities that would occur on the ship. Also the kid’s club created and posted a new schedule that had kid’s club open all day with specific activities like a regular sea day. We finished our packing and then went to Blue Lagoon for lunch; the fish and chips were very good. DS went off to kid’s club and we went looking for a chair on the deck. The area around the pool was packed, but up in a corner of the Bimini grill was a group from our roll call with empty chairs. So this became a leisurely day at sea, chatting and drinking with friends.

 

This evening DS ordered from room service and we went to Cagney’s. DS ordered off of the kid’s section of the room service menu both macaroni & cheese and a grilled cheese sandwich. Both of these entrees were very tasty and the portion size was big enough for an adult. In kid’s club on the last night they had a farewell pajama party where DS got to color a NCL t-shirt and have a pillow fight. Being in a balcony we had a card next to the TV that allowed us to book a specialty restaurant reservation 48 hours in advance, which we did. Having read on CC that you could get unlimited appetizers and sides we proceeded to stack up on food. We both started with a shrimp cocktail that had the largest shrimp we have ever seen and accompanied with a Jack Daniels sauce. DW had the lobster bisque and I had the clam chowder. All of the appetizers were very good. We both ordered the large Captain’s cut filet and asparagus, sautéed mushrooms, and baked potato on the side. The vegetables were amazingly fresh for having travelled around on a ship for almost an entire week. The steaks were very good and cooked to order; though as I said earlier I thought the everyday steak in the Venetian was of the same high quality as the steak in Cagney’s. While waiting for our dessert the Hotel Director Hugo stopped by to ask how we were enjoying our cruise. We told him he ran a great ship and were looking forward to sailing with him again in early June. The banana foster flambé was to die for, we really should have asked for seconds!

 

Throughout this week NCL had been testing a new entertainment program, Howl at the Moon (http://howlatthemoon.com). This is a dueling piano (and occasionally drummer) show. NCL was passing out surveys to the audience to determine if the Howl at the Moon should be a regular feature on NCL cruises. I filled out the survey, but want to say once again to NCL: Bring back Howl at the Moon (especially June 7 Dawn to Bermuda). They performed 4 times this week, but somehow we kept missing their shows and had heard great reviews from the rest of the roll call. So this evening we made sure that we attended; we soon realized we had missed out on some great entertainment. The show started with the 2 guys on the pianos taking turns on various songs submitted by the audience. After a few songs they were joined on drums by the third member of the group, Jennifer Lynn (http://www.jenniferlynn.com/). She is a striking presence, a 6 ft blond female Keith Moon on Baba O’Riley. After a few songs she took over the piano, messed up her hair and transformed into Janis Joplin. The roll call group had an area reserved so we got DS from kid’s club and enjoyed some more of the show and then had our last good byes with our new friends. Passing the bar we got in our final goodbye with our darling and gracious Dawn Queen; JW.

[14ersco]

Throughout the cruise we had slept with our balcony door open and this morning about 4 am I was awaken by a sound I had not heard for a week, city traffic. The Dawn was heading south so our side of the ship was next to a freeway. I stayed up to watch the lights of Miami and see our ship turn into the pier within the hour. We had chosen a later color so that we could stay on the Dawn longer and have a leisurely morning. This was the only day we saw the buffet packed to point it was hard to find a table, but with a DS we sat in the kid’s area. This was a nice feature on the Dawn, a child size buffet line and seating area. A parent could sit there, if they did not mind tucking up their legs. As it got close to our 9:20 departure time we strolled down to the atrium where we saw Silc and her group was waiting for their color to be called. They were a color before ours, but no one was going far since there was some type of hold where you swipe your card for the final time. The line eventually stretched from mid-ship to the front point of the Dawn. There was a few rude people who cut the line; including the woman who ran over the toes of children with her electric scooter just to be in front: lady you may be well dressed, but you have no manners! We spent our idle time looking over the side watching the crew load massive quantities of alcohol onto the Dawn for the next cruise; probably had a lot of restocking to be done from what our roll call drank. Once the hold was released we retraced the path we had taken 7 days earlier. At customs the only question from a smiling Rico the customs officer was why we had not declared the balloon our DS was holding.

 

After picking up our waiting luggage we crossed to the center island where in a few minutes a Thrifty bus stopped to take us to the Miami airport rental location. I also saw buses for Alamo and Hertz; Dollar shared a bus and rental location with Thrifty. We spent our day viewing dolphins in the NW corner of the Everglades and a whole mess of alligators in Big Cypress. For our last night we were back to the Homewood Suites at Blue Lagoon. The final day of our vacation was spent at the beach next to the Art Deco area of Miami Beach; followed by mahi mahi sandwiches and drinks at an Irish pub on Ocean Drive. Now that we are home there is talk on our roll call to return to the Dawn next spring. We are lucky, we will be back on the Dawn in 7 weeks. :cool:

[*Luv2Cruz*]

Throughout the cruise we had slept with our balcony door open and this morning about 4 am I was awaken by a sound I had not heard for a week, city traffic. The Dawn was heading south so our side of the ship was next to a freeway. I stayed up to watch the lights of Miami and see our ship turn into the pier within the hour. We had chosen a later color so that we could stay on the Dawn longer and have a leisurely morning. This was the only day we saw the buffet packed to point it was hard to find a table, but with a DS we sat in the kid’s area. This was a nice feature on the Dawn, a child size buffet line and seating area. A parent could sit there, if they did not mind tucking up their legs. As it got close to our 9:20 departure time we strolled down to the atrium where we saw Silc and her group was waiting for their color to be called. They were a color before ours, but no one was going far since there was some type of hold where you swipe your card for the final time. The line eventually stretched from mid-ship to the front point of the Dawn. There was a few rude people who cut the line; including the woman who ran over the toes of children with her electric scooter just to be in front: lady you may be well dressed, but you have no manners! We spent our idle time looking over the side watching the crew load massive quantities of alcohol onto the Dawn for the next cruise; probably had a lot of restocking to be done from what our roll call drank. Once the hold was released we retraced the path we had taken 7 days earlier. At customs the only question from a smiling Rico the customs officer was why we had not declared the balloon our DS was holding.

 

After picking up our waiting luggage we crossed to the center island where in a few minutes a Thrifty bus stopped to take us to the Miami airport rental location. I also saw buses for Alamo and Hertz; Dollar shared a bus and rental location with Thrifty. We spent our day viewing dolphins in the NW corner of the Everglades and a whole mess of alligators in Big Cypress. For our last night we were back to the Homewood Suites at Blue Lagoon. The final day of our vacation was spent at the beach next to the Art Deco area of Miami Beach; followed by mahi mahi sandwiches and drinks at an Irish pub on Ocean Drive. Now that we are home there is talk on our roll call to return to the Dawn next spring. We are lucky, we will be back on the Dawn in 7 weeks. :cool:

Awesome job with the review!:D I think for our group in June, you should write the review for all of us!;):D

[Nickymjw1]

Great Review Dave. We enjoyed you and Erin, and you have a wonderful son!

 

Now if everyone else can please write a review as well I can keep on reliving our cruise over and over again!

[14ersco]

The NCL Dawn is a very good ship with a great crew who are looking out for the passengers enjoyment; though there were two members of the usual crew who were missing that may have changed the tone and style of our cruise. I will find out in June when I am back on the Dawn and CD John and Asst CD Bingo Boy have returned. From what I have read on Cruise Critic they are more in your face (numerous ding-dong audio pitches) for activities that generate revenue for NCL. We had a great CD in Shona and Asst CD Ray-Ray; where they audio announced usually just once about the days activity. Being Freestyle it was nice to make up my own mind about activities to attend and not be constantly bombarded with suggestions of how to spend my free time and money.

 

There are some needed repairs that do not affect (so far) the cruise or the ship, but that NCL needs to eventually address. These are repairs that can not be corrected by the crew on-board including: soiled carpeting; wood table trim & wood balcony rails missing stain and damaged by the elements; and a sewage system that flushes sometimes and sometimes not. Having been on the Pride of Aloha in her final Hawaii months and seeing our neighbors flooded out by sewage (imagine that on your luggage!) NCL needs to find out why the system stopped for an entire evening. Also have read that NCL is considering installing new carpeting while the Dawn is docked in Bermuda. NCL should remember that some people have allergic reactions to the gases dispelled by new carpeting.

 

Will we cruise the Dawn and NCL again, most definitely. We have already used the Cruise Reward we purchased on-board to reserve a NCL Dawn cruise for next spring.

 

I you are going on a NCL cruise join (or start) the Cruise Critic roll call. You just may meet some people you want to spend time with during the cruise or on a future cruise. The staff of the NCL Dawn made sure the Cruise Critic members were acknowledged and wanted to make sure that we knew they valued what we said about their ship on Cruise Critic. So to Hotel Director Hugo; the staff and crew of your ship are great and I look forward to joining you once again in less than 50 days.

[lamolesky]

I loved reading your review, brings back memories of our Dawn cruise with the little ones. Thanks